


Silent Memory

by HASA_Archivist



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: 3rd Age - The Stewards, Characters - Strongly in character, Characters - Well-handled emotions, Plot - Bittersweet, Plot - Tear-jerker, Poetry, Writing - Every word counts, Writing - Evocative, Writing - Experimental, Writing - Mythic/Poetic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-26
Updated: 2004-01-24
Packaged: 2018-04-06 08:51:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4215392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HASA_Archivist/pseuds/HASA_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Denethor's POV. Angst, doubt and foreshadowing. Two not-quite-Villanelles for Finduilas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I.

_Cermië, 2987 TA_

The summer wind is winter in your eyes  
and dawn as nightfall's shadow on your face,  
a fragile truth amidst a thousand lies.

A veiling cloud on gleaming silver skies  
obscures the softness of your mild-eyed grace.  
The summer wind is winter in your eyes.

So young and yet beyond your years so wise,  
as ice and fire both in my embrace,  
a fragile truth amidst a thousand lies.

Yet hope must be as sorrow in disguise,  
as an illusion that we vainly chase.  
The summer wind is winter in your eyes.

I dare not breathe, watch as the sunlight dies  
and vanishes without a single trace.  
The summer wind is winter in your eyes,  
a fragile truth amidst a thousand lies.  



	2. II.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Denethor's POV. Angst, doubt and foreshadowing. Two not-quite-Villanelles for Finduilas.

_Sulimë, 2988 TA_

Do you recall the turning of the tide  
that swept away the sun and veiled the sky  
till naught was left but cold and iron pride?

It's in the wind alone I dare confide  
the secrets and the tears I dare not cry.  
Do you recall the turning of the tide?

Do you recall the ocean far and wide?  
I tried and failed, I fail, I fail and try  
till naught is left but cold and iron pride.

Oh stay but for a moment by my side,  
make me believe that hope is last to die.  
Do you recall the turning of the tide?

It's in the wind alone I dare confide  
that I have seen the truth and choose the lie.  
Do you recall the turning of the tide?  
Naught now is left but cold and iron pride...

_~~I am afraid, Finduilas, so afraid...~~ _


	3. Notes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Denethor's POV. Angst, doubt and foreshadowing. Two not-quite-Villanelles for Finduilas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from the HASA Transition Team: This story was originally archived at [HASA](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Henneth_Ann%C3%BBn_Story_Archive), which closed in February 2015. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in February 2015. We posted announcements about the move, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please contact The HASA Transition Team using the e-mail address on the [HASA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hasa/profile).

For these two poems I kind of used the villanelle form but left out the last triplet. No, not because I couldn't think of more rhymes (I actually had way too many in mind and couldn't use half of them) but because in a 'proper' villanelle when you look at the last lines of the stanzas it's like

second A  
first A  
second A  
first A  
 **second A**  
second A

so the last two stanzas both end with the same "second A" line. I've always wondered why as it has always felt a little out of place for me because one of the most significant things about the villanelle form are the alternating last lines of the stanzas... Well, I'll stop rambling now. All I wanted to say is that in these two poems I experimented with the traditional villanelle form to see what happens if you carry on with the "alternating last lines" scheme until the very end of the poem (instead of breaking it in the last two stanzas) because it seemed kind of appropriate for a Denethor poem.

In the second poem I have also experimented with altering the last line a little for each stanza to achieve a certain "dynamic" effect.


End file.
